Volume 2: Son of Samson and the Daughter of Dagon
'Plot Summary' 'Chapter 1: "Jewel of Jabneel"' At a bazaar in the bustling city of Hebron, two thieves accost a young woman named Saphira for her money purse, which she is swinging around in her hand rather too obviously. She bites the ruffian's arm and takes refuge behind Branan, who is shopping in nearby stall at the market. When the men order Branan out of the way, he lifts up a produce cart and threatens to throw it at the would-be thieves, who scamper away in fright. Saphira purrs her thanks to Branan and hires him as her bodyguard for the trip back to Jabneel. As Branan escorts her and her caravan home, she proceeds to flirt with and flatter him shamelessly. On the journey back, Branan and Saphira encounter the Phoenician slave merchant Abu and his cageful of human cargo. Abu leers at Saphira and notes that he could get a lot of money for such a lovely specimen at a slave auction. That evening, Saphira invites Branan to dine with her in her tent and suggestively offers him "everything" he sees before him. Focused only on the meal, however, Branan gobbles up all the food in sight and returns to his campfire to sleep, leaving beautiful Saphira feeling spurned. When Saphira exits her tent later that night to watch Branan sleep, Abu's men capture her while Branan portentously dreams about Delilah's betrayal of his father Samson. 'Chapter 2: "Scrolls of Freedom"' While Saphira attempts to comfort some orphan slaves she is traveling with in Abu's cage of human cargo, Branan attacks the caravan to rescue Saphira. After overpowering Abu's guards, Branan releases all of Abu's slaves from their cage and sets them free along with Saphira. Moved to pity by her encounter with the slave children in Abu's caravan, Saphira vows to grant Eber and Mesha (her own servants) their freedom, confident that they will still wish to remain in her service out of fierce loyalty. Branan laughs heartily when Saphira makes good on her word to set Eber and Mesha free and watches them run happily off into the distance the moment they receive their scroll of freedom. 'Chapter 3: "The Old River King"' With no servants to perform their menial tasks anymore, Branan and Saphira must must now set up camp for themselves. While Branan is busy pitching her tent, an irritated Saphira decides to go for a wade out in the nearby river. When a group of men descend upon her before she steps into the drink, Branan hears her shriek and comes to her rescue. Jerah, the leader of the gang, apologizes to Saphira and Branan, explaining that his men only grabbed Saphira to prevent her from swimming in the crocodile-infested waters. He points out to the river where a large crocodile - the "Old River King" - is, indeed, clearly lurking just beneath the surface. Jerah then shows Branan and Saphira a large crocodile trap constructed out of sticks. The next morning, the camp dwellers awake to find the flimsy trap utterly demolished by the crocodile. Just as the hunters tell Branan that they have decided to give up trying to catch the Old River King, they hear Saphira calling for help, as the crocodile has her trapped up a tree. The hunters pitch their spears at the Old River King, but his armor-like hide is apparently impervious to their weapons. When the crocodile suddenly changes direction to return to the river, Branan grabs the beast's scaly tail in an effort to halt him. Just as the crowd cheers Branan for stopping the animal, the giant reptile uses his tail to fling Branan hard against the ground. Seeing stars and letting the crocodile's tail go, Branan watches helplessly as the animal slips back into its watery home. 'Chapter 4: "Son of the Wheat Grinder"' As Saphira and Branan finally arrive safely at her palatial home in Jabneel, Branan quips that he can't wait to see the look on her mother's face when Saphira confesses that she's emancipated their two bondsmen Eber and Mesha. Entering Saphira's courtyard garden, a shocked Branan runs into the odious slaver Abu again. Abu vows revenge on Branan for setting Abu's human cargo free back in the desert and orders Delilah's Rephaim bodyguard Adar to pound Branan into the dust. During the fight, Adar manages to clamp his beefy fingers around Branan's throat, nearly crushing his windpipe. In a move of desperation, Branan reaches for his belt and hits Adar across the face with it. Having momentarily stunned Adar with this blow, Branan picks up the club Adar has just dropped and knocks out the hairy oaf cold. Seeing her man down, Delilah slinks out from the shadows and introduces herself to Branan, who charmingly recognizes her as the "heifer" who betrayed his father. While the two continue to exchange barbs, Adar's older brother Abnar creeps up behind Branan and cracks him over the head with a bat. Branan and Abnar begin to wrestle while Delilah and Abu watch on in amusement. Just as Branan supernaturally manages to lift and toss the ox-like Abnar into a nearby marble column, Adar awakens and gangs up on Branan with Abnar for the cheap win. Delilah then orders the brothers to throw Branan into the dungeon until Lord Pathrus arrives at the palace. While in prison, Branan meets Tiras, the self-styled "Marauder of the Mediterranean," who clearly overestimates the infamy of his pirating reputation. Tiras reveals that he met Branan's father Samson while they were cell mates together after the Philistines threw Samson into prison. Branan tearfully thanks Tiras for relating the encouraging story about Samson, then prays that God will help Branan break free of his chains. Just as he succeeds in doing so, a guilt-ridden Saphira shows up outside the door to their cell to break Branan and Tiras out of the dungeon. Saphira smuggles Branan to the edge of town where she has his camel Uzal packed and ready to go. Saphira and Branan reluctantly bid one another farewell and express their desire to see each other again someday before he rides off into the night. Category:Volumes